US, South Korea and Japan to agree to crisis consultations at Camp David summit

At a Camp David summit on Friday, the United States, South Korea and Japan will pledge to consult each other in moments of crisis, officials said, a commitment designed to deepen three-way military ties as the U.S. seeks to rally its allies to counter China’s rising influence.
The commitment, which falls short of a formal alliance, will be the centerpiece of U.S. President Joe Biden’s first Camp David summit for foreign leaders and represents a significant move for Seoul and Tokyo, which have a long history of mutual acrimony and distrust.
Biden is welcoming South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the mountainside presidential retreat on Friday, where they are expected to have several hours to strategize over how to manage tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
The summit is expected to produce a series of joint statements, including commitments to establish a crisis hotline, work together on emerging technologies and to meet annually.